the joys of condo ownership

Music: American Idol

Today was the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which followed just a bad day. Here's a time log of re-membered discussions:

Tuesday, May 8

10:00 a.m.: "Josh, this is Kay. We have a problem. I think your coffee maker is leaking into the wall. My carpet is soaked up to the back window."

10:45 a.m.: [home warranty operator] "Mr. Gunn, I've tried two plumbers and cannot get an answer, but you're on the emergency list. If you do not hear from a plumber within two hours, please call us back."

11:00 a.m.: "Kay, they said the plumber can be here today, and to call back in a couple of hours if I don't hear from them"

12:30 p.m.: "Hey, this is [unintelligible] from ARS, we'll be there in twenty to thirty minutes."

1:15 p.m.: "It's in between the walls, which means both condos are involved. That's not covered by warranty; it's an HOA problem. Call them."

1:16 p.m.: "If you're getting this message, we're on the line. Please leave a message . . . ."

1:30 p.m.: "Is the plumber still there? [he is] Some way or another you need to get him to determine the source of the leak."

"He says that he must go into the wall; a 'search and destroy' exploration could take hours, and a hammer. He won't do it."

"Ok then, I'll get back to you."

2:00 p.m.: "Hi, this is Josh. Any news yet? My plumber says this is your issue since two units are involved. You need to get someone out here, I think."

"Hi Josh, Joanie is taking over this case. Let me transfer you."

"Josh, this is Joanie. Of course you've been directed to the by-laws, right?"

"By-laws? No. All I know is my plumber will not go into the wall. He suspects a slab leak. That seems to be an HOA issue."

"Well, doing this job for a while, I'm 90% sure it will be 50/50 your and Kay's issue. But I'm not sure, I need to do more research. I'll call you and Kay back."

3:00 p.m.: "Hi Joanie, this is Josh. Any news?"

"No, we're still researching it."

"Well, I hope it's covered by the structure insurance, as my warranty won't cover it. But we need to find out the problem. Are you going to call Kay and reassure her?"

"Yes, I'll call her today."

Wednesday, May 9

9:30 a.m.: "Hi Josh, this is Kay. What's going on?"

"Joanie said she'd call you. She didn't, huh?"

"No. &*$! I'm starting to get mad about this; my carpet is still wet and it's moldy. I think you need to write one of your letters.

"Ok, I'll get on the phone and write a letter."

10:00 a.m.: "If you're getting this message, we're on the line. Please leave a message . . . ."

11:28 a.m.: Email sent to management company and the entire HOA governing board:

I am writing to request your and the HOA's assistance in the matter of a plumbing leak which is needing immediate attention at 2105/2107 Bronte in Old Town. Yesterday Kay Allen discovered that the carpet in her living room next to our shared wall was wet, and that there were large blotches of mold on right above it on the west corner wall. These blotches are directly behind where my refrigerator is located. These are clearly symptoms of a leak, so I called my plumber.

[huge snip]

Finally, whether or not we can determine the meaning of the relevant passages in the HOA bylaws, the fact remains that your company is hired to help residents in a timely manner, particularly when the help is needed on urgent repairs. Even if it is determined the repair is the responsibility of Mrs. Allen and myself, you and your employees should nevertheless come to our aid, and quickly. I have tried to maintain a sense of humor and patience these past couple of days and have discouraged my neighbor from making unpleasant phone calls (trust me: I'm the "good cop!"). Failing to return phone calls or doing what you promise as water continues to dribble in our shared wall is unacceptable. Now is our time of need; where are you?

12:30 p.m.: "Hi Josh, this is Gracie. I wanted to update you on the situation. After much persuasion, Kay has agreed to let our plumbers at HHCC come in, cut a hole in the wall, and investigate the situation . . . . "

3:30 p.m.: [in upstairs office, hear someone enter below]. "Hi Josh, the plumber needs to get to your fridge."

"Sure, no problem."

[Plumber sticks a finger into wall directly below valve box, pulls away sheetrock]. "Well, this is easy, here is your leak." [clears away more wet sheetrock] "Huh. Can I turn your water off?"

"Sure."

[two minutes later] "The solder in this water line has deteriorated. It probably started as a dribble, and has now gotten worse. I can fix this."

[fifteen minutes later] "That's it?"

"Yes, you might want to let that air out a day or two."

4:00 p.m.: "I want to get this cleaned up. Can I see your phone book?"

"Sure Kay."

"Who do I call?"

"Well, there's Stanley Steemer, the Steam Team . . . "

5:30 p.m.: [carpet steamer company arrives; you know they charge extra for "after hours"---my neighbor simply cannot wait until tomorrow]

6:00 p.m.: "I'm the guy next door who is probably paying for this. What's the damage?"

"It's pretty bad in there, mildew has already started. The dehumidifiers are about $75 a day, then someone comes out once a day. It'll take about three days, I estimate $450-600 just to get it aired out."

"Great."

6:30 p.m.: "Sir, can I come in and test the moisture?"

"Sure."

"See this reading [measures outside wall], this is normal. Now look at this [presses meter to wall behind fridge, it's off the chart]—it's ridiculous. Our machines should be able to dry this out as long as you don't cover up this hole. It's important that you get your side taken care of too. If you don’t, mildew and mold can form, and that's a big problem. They can condemn the whole building."

[my interior monologue: this is in front of my 87 year old neighbor, a scare tactic, a bit dramatic --- AND I AM FOOTING THE BILL]. "Are you shitting me? You're suggesting this will be $1500 just to clean up the wet."

"We won't know until we know. We'll have folks out here everyday taking readings."

7:00 p.m.: [Stiff glass of bourbon] And we haven't even considered new dry-wall and paint. And although my Home Warranty should have paid for the plumbing fix (their plumber was in error), they will not because the HOA used their plumber ($200). And although I have condo insurance through AAA, they will not cover my neighbor's damage, only that in my unit. And here's the kicker: my sweet neighbor does not have condo insurance.

My sense of moral duty is a problem.